The present invention relates to oscillatory rotating engines and in particular to engines of the Kauertz type.
The Kauertz engine comprises a pair of concentric rotors, each having a pair of diametrically opposed sectors which sealingly engage the end walls and circumferential surface of a cylindrical housing, to define four working chambers, each working chamber defined between a sector on one rotor and a sector on the other rotor. The rotors are driven about their common axis, their relative angular velocity varying so that the volume of each working chamber is alternately expanded and then contracted. An inlet port, exhaust port and ignition device are provided at appropriate points on the cylindrical housing, so that the expansion and contraction of the working chambers will provide induction, compression, expansion and exhaust strokes.
One of the rotors is driven by a gear and linkage mechanism which will provide two oscillations per rotation of the rotor and thus two contraction and two expansion phases for each working chamber on each rotation of the rotors. One rotation of the rotor will thus be equal to a conventional four stroke cycle.
The drive mechanisms used hitherto to control the complicated oscillatory motion, are relatively complex and difficulties have been experiended with the strength of this mechanism. This drive mechanism is also excessively noisy.
In our co-pending patent application Ser. No. 07/609,594 filed Nov. 6, 1990 we disclose an oscillatory drive mechanism which is relatively simple and robust. Furthermore, with this drive, the varying drive ratio is adjustable, so that the compression ratio of the engine may be adjusted by adjustment of the drive mechanism.